Saturday, December 31, 2016

I don't have a New Years resolution, but more so enforcing what I decided for myself and my lifestyle during the last months of 2016. They were major changes for me and even though I struggle with them all the time, I know it's for the better.

One was disassociating myself with people that don't care. When I care I care big, but it's never reciprocated back. There are many in my life who don't have the ricochet complex when it comes to good deeds or simple reliability and it's sad that sometimes it's the closest ones that tend to take advantage. I quickly found out that the only person I can truly rely on is me.

Get away. You need to get away now and again and since I haven't been to the temple for about two years, I added those to my 2017 calendar as a must. I had valid excuses why I couldn't go, but I had more excuses for just not wanting to go. I've been sitting here waiting for peace and realization to come to me when I knew where it was the whole time. It's unfortunate that we don't have the ward temple trips anymore. It's nice to always see a familiar face at the temple, but I won't let my Nigel-no-mates-at-the-temple interfere with my attendance anymore.

Church. Love hate relationship there. The whole disassociating myself thing doesn't help because there are a few that I see on Sunday that I'd rather not see. It's been a downer in the ward for a few years, but I trust things will pick up in 2017. Attendance with a smile. I have to not worry about who's going to play the piano on Sunday because it's more than likely going to be me and I have to not worry about when I hit a bung note because of the 100+ people in our ward .. I'm 1 of 4 who know the instrument.

Work. Need a job. Decided to give up the job at the school because of the lack of confidence I have in the BoT. If Hubba's teacher wasn't going back in 2017, I would be looking at a new school for her. I'd like to work at a school so I can get the school holidays off. There are prospects on the job front, but I have another month before I can secure anything. All I know is .. I don't want to work at a Mortuary.

Save dineros. Good money management teaches that if you have unnecessary debt, there's no point in trying to save. I knocked out two credit cards last year and I didn't have to starve to do it. It's very do-able. The big one for me is to restrict my time with Michelle trips to town, but you know what .. it gets so boring at home when you've send your child off to school and have already cleaned the entire house before 9am.

The Book. A few ideas on the book. Lost my sponsorship and got it back. I thought I had writers block, but I didn't. Sitting in front of a computer you easily get side tracked to watching Scare-Cam pranks or stalking someone you went to college with 20 years ago. I need an office, but Tyler won't move out.

Tyler. She's a hot mess and the most tragic part of my life. Love her to bits, but she's got lots of growing up to do. I'd kick her out in a heart beat if I knew she was going somewhere she feels content, but that's no where but here. She'll become two in March when Little Balls pops out and although I've vowed to not interfere, I have mixed feelings about her and Motherhood. She may surprise me and I can have pretend high hopes about that.

Hubs. I just want her to be happy and healthy. She means everything to me and I've got one shot at Mothering and am doing everything I can to do it right. I restrict her from so much, I know, but those limitations I've put on her have made her unbelievably self sufficient. So much so, that when I die I know she'll be able to take care of Tyler and Little Balls :)

Getting more ink this year.
Your body is a temple and Mama needs new wallpaper.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

A shoot on boxing day had me up early in the hot sun. The shoot was all over the place, but I got some good photos. My personal favorite. Stan and my brother have been best friends since they were 5. He makes me cringe just as much as my brother does.
Hub's got a mermaid tail for christmas from The Livians. It's not allowed at public pools so she's limited to where she can wear it ie: The Livians pool, the home pool and the bath tub.
Bebs. Just Bebs.
Aviiii.
Prepping the marae for Aunty Tashi's family gathering.
Hawkes Bay is hot.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

I opted out of Christmas with my family and spent the day at home. Undoubtedly it was weird and queer to my family, but that's the attitude I wanted to avoid. Years of experience with them have proven that it's a stressful day of merged opposition and difference of opinion. I dropped Hubba off and spent the rest of the day buoyant.

I know we celebrate today because of Christ and I believe in Him very much, but I avoided church today too. I did not have the spirit of Christmas in me and had I gone to church, I don't think I would have found it.

I spent some time on working towards 2017 and what I can do to help myself in my travels towards complete self-reliance in all aspects of my life. It's a bit of an uphill battle, but it's a road I'm ready to take. It's a mixture of loosening ties, mending ties and just pushing some ties aside completely because there's no hope there.

I planned Thanksgiving 2017 and I've planned it so it occurs the same time and season as the US Thanksgiving. The September equinox occurs on September 22nd, 2017. Thanksgiving occurs on week 9 of fall. NZ fall, official, is March 1st. March equinox is on the 20th. 9 weeks takes you to May 11th, 2017. This is when I will have Thanksgiving next year because all that good food can't be had in Summer weather nor it is hauhake season.

I'm going to play the piano more both here and home and at church.

I planned my grocery list for the year and I'm going to attempt to stick to it as best I can.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

I was always having my Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. Christmas on the sabbath kind of limits what you can do. I know the purpose of Christmas, but y'know ... there's always swimming on Christmas. Weather says it's going to be a mild day much like today, which maxed out at 22°c, so swimming wise, it's OK.
I've always loved the Asian cuisine. We went a bit overboard for three people and we haven't even had dessert yet.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

I feel it's brewing to be the worst Christmas in a while. I'm trying to remember the worst one before that. Even when Larry died a month before Christmas it wasn't the worst Christmas really. I woke up yesterday feeling different and woke up today feeling worse than yesterday. Mitchy said it was the cold sore I've been rocking since Saturday. I can't pin point what it is, but it's not the cold sore.

I would like to be left alone on Christmas day, me and mine, but I'm doing it for Hub's and mingling with my family for a couple of hours.

I'm over the visitors who always want something. When did visiting stop being visiting to actually visit and observe the well being of the person? I've spent too much money on a dumb platter and people keep giving me chocolate. Like I need it.

Monday, December 19, 2016

I forgot about Hubba's school break up and prize giving, which was last Wednesday. It was such a below average prize giving that it was easily forgotten. I wasn't impressed with it and the bouncy castle and the sumo suits were the best two things there because ... those burgers they had us buy were crap.
Hub's lost twice, but she had the giggles about the sumo suits.
Jeston and his sumo boobs.
Avi is so cute I want to bite her some days.
Sneak peak: Hub's rocking the new As Is brand.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

My Christmas tree fell down for the 5th time this weekend. The first 4 times were because of Avilicious who just couldn't help herself and the last time, which was the worst time, was because of the wind.

Christmas is not completely over in Casa de Shultz, but the big tree came down with all the pretty decorations and will not be up again this Christmas. Also told Tyler to remind me not to put it up next year either because her minion will be 9 months and probably a no-ears tyrant.

We still have the other Christmas tree up and I strung lights, in 32°C weather, across half of my ranch slider.

I'm over Christmas and summer already.

Avi, who has been here since Thursday, went home with her other parents this afternoon. I miss her already, but I'm looking forward to a sleep in and Hub's is looking forward to jumping ship into my bed for the rest of the holidays. Little does she know, I'm sleeping alone tonight.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Mum, MUM. Can I PLEASE have a kitten for Christmas? I'm not allergic anymore because I've been holding Ngawi's cat all.this.time.
(30 minutes)
No cats.Please Mum!? I'm not even allergic anymore!

We get home not 2 minutes later.Your eyes are puffy and you have welts everywhere.It's not the cat Mum, it wasn't the cat!It wasn't the cat! It wasn't!It wasn't the cat Mum, please it wasn't the cat!Please Mum! It wasn't the cat!
Off to the emergency department we went.
Excuse the typo from the Dr, but it was the damn cat.
Stayed home from school today because she looked like Shrek and her medicine had her sleep in till 9.30am.
She's been wanting this for a few months. I promised her she could get them when school was over for the year. We're 2 days shy of the end of the school year and since we were home today. She was a brave little fish and was more excited than anxious.
She also wants a short hair-cut like Larell (still thinking about this one), blue hair and a real tattoo.
Happy Holidays.
Now some pictures of pretty girls and not Shrek girl.
Ok .. one last Shrek photo.
Happy Holidays.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

I remember going to my Mums after school and seeing four home made pizzas on the counter top with instructions for my two older brothers on what they needed to do to heat them. She'd always set the temperature on the oven, all they had to do was put them in and flick on the main oven switch. She was at work after school and would get home between 7 - 8pm to at least one upside down pizza on the floor of the oven.

I watch my sister and her ways of Motherhood. Her older kids come in from school in the afternoons, hang their back packs up on the dining room chairs specifically assigned for their bags, remove their lunch boxes from their bags and place them in a spot they know is for their lunch boxes. They know that bedtime is at seven-three-oh but still fight for an hour from their bedrooms about how it's bedtime.

I watch Mitchy and her ways of Motherhood. Mitchy turns the internet off alot, much to the trepidation of her offspring. She doesn't like to cook because it's likely 1. Nan already fed two of them 2. They've already raided the school lunches or 3. It's 9pm and they've finally decided they're hungry and she was tired three hours ago.

I picked up pieces from them and applied them as best I could.

Hubba has a hook by the back door reserved for her bag. She never hangs it up and she never takes out her lunch box like I ask her too. There are notices from her teacher sitting at the bottom of her bag since September that she just forgot to give me. She never makes her bed in the morning like I ask her to and lately all she wants to eat are pies and microwaved scrambled eggs.

Hubba moans because everyone else in the whole world gets the internet, but not her. Hubba moans when I watch an hour of news at 6pm claiming, the best part was coming up on Sponge Bob, then sits in a huff for an hour.

So tonight ... when she went to bed and all the brittle was gone .. I sat down and got luxurious because I was alone.

I had myself creamy garlic pasta with shrimp and spring vegetables with whole wheat bread and 89cent sparkling lemon soda from The Warehouse. 6 minutes in the microwave and I had myself a meal fit for a Queen and it didn't even matter that it only had 2 pieces of shrimp in it, because I got it from Watties staff sales, I was able to eat it like how I tell Hubba not to eat food lest she look like a piglet.
It's impossible to be the perfect mother because an honest mothers mantra should be "F this".Every night.

Today I made peanut brittle.
All day I made peanut brittle.
I went in to town then came home and made peanut brittle.
I went to work and came home and made more peanut brittle.
All the peanut brittle has gone.
I do like making it. It's a scientific affair when you make it and I tried to master it without the candy thermometer today, but there were so many batches of the stuff that I forgot to time everything. I did learn a trick though. People had been asking, in the years I'd be making it, why it wasn't burnt sugar dark. I decided the recipe, that called for a max of 300°F on the candy thermometer, was incorrect. You have to let it burn a little longer to get the color and the true hard crack stage. It's probably more 310 - 315°F. I had success at 312.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

First day of December = The Advent Calendar.
Tyler had her Manu Poi assessment at school on Friday.
The whole thing was amazing. I was very moved by it all.
After assessment.
She got an A+ by the way.
I made my Mum come with me to it. She said Friday was a good day for her.
Two things made her proud that day.
1. Tyler
2. The red lights on her Christmas tree.
That's balance.
Avi stayed the night last night. I'm pretty sure she hates Hubba because Hubba loves her too much and always wants to cuddle her. Hubba wasn't allowed give me a cuddle goodnight last night.
Hubba wasn't allowed to sleep in my bed with us and Friday nights Hubba knows she's allowed to sleep with Mum. Hubba wasn't allowed to help her when she fell over.
Hubba is glad she is not staying tonight.
12 hours of sleep and looks this cute at wake up.
She's a fat ball of delicious .. and a little bit of agro.
Mitchy commented yesterday that she doesn't understand why Hubba and Avi are so white compared to her other kids. I told her it was because they were both supposed to be mine.
I miss California this time of the year. New Zealand is so bland with it's Christmas celebrations and the best thing we have in town is the huge Santa statue on top of the New World Supermarket. He's been around since as early as I can remember.
I think he's the same Santa that Fantasyland use to rock when it was open.
This month is going to be a good one.